The benefits of a tea tree oil bath include easing skin irritations and rashes and treating painful, swollen joints. It may also be good for reducing inflammation and itching associated with certain skin conditions such as psoriasis. Many women also use these baths as effective vaginal yeast treatments. Adding a few drops of the oil to a bath may also be an effective treatment for bacterial skin infections.

Some experts claim that taking a tea tree oil bath several times a week may relieve stiff joints and inflammation associated with arthritis. Due to the high concentration level, only a few drops should be added to the bathwater. Alternately, a washcloth that has been dipped into a small amount of tea tree oil mixed with grape seed oil may be used to massage stiff, aching joints.

Adding a few drops of this oil to bathwater can also help relieve the discomfort of bladder infections according to some health experts. Tea tree oil contains a natural antiseptic and is often used for purification purposes. When released into a warm tub of bathwater, the microbial properties will be absorbed into the skin.

When suffering from fatigue or sluggishness due to toxins in the system, soaking in a tea tree oil bath may help purify the body. Some people believe that it draws out toxins from the bloodstream. Users often claim that such a bath has a revitalizing, yet relaxing, effect.

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Children and adults suffering from mild forms of chicken pox may benefit from taking a warm bath with a few drops of the oil, which can soothe outbreaks of itchy and burning blisters. Patients should soak in the warm water for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

Individuals suffering from coughs due to colds or bronchitis may find relief from chest congestion by adding several drops of tea tree oil to bathwater and soaking for 15 minutes. The vapors from the essential oils may break up nasal congestion as well. It should be noted that, if fever is present, a medical professional should be consulted before using tea tree oils.

Individuals who suffer from occasional flare ups of gout may find that soaking in tea tree oil baths brings them relief. The essential oils are helpful for controlling painful swelling and redness. A mixture of tea tree and jojoba oil may be massaged directly into the affected area may be even more effective.

Discuss this Article

anon352968Post 5

I put it in my bath, a lot of it (30 drops). Initially I felt the sting of it, but after thirty minutes in a hot bath with tea tree oil, my body is more physically relaxed than it has been in months. My girlfriend brings some home every time she comes from Australia, and wow! What a difference. I do not recommend this much for everyone. I just love the long term muscle relaxation fix I get. Keep it out of your eyes. It stings like a mother.

anon351817Post 4

I had an allergic reaction to tea tree oil after putting four drops in my bath water over a few days.

umbra21Post 3

@pastnaga - I actually knew it was a good anti-fungal because I've used it to cure my aquarium of fungal infections. There's a couple of different kinds of tea tree oil medications you can get in the pet store, don't just try adding the pure oil yourself since it's very easy to get it wrong and kill all your fish.

It was after I realized what the main ingredient was in the mixture that I started adding tea tree oil to my own bath.

I don't actually have any problems that need fixing, but I like the smell and it seems to stop me from developing pimples which I would sometimes get before I started using it.

pastanagaPost 2

I'm usually quite skeptical of natural "cures" that people use, because often they aren't all that effective, and they fall over when subjected to scientific testing.

But, tea tree oil has been scientifically tested quite a bit. It was actually only used as an essential oil fairly recently, although the Aboriginal people of Australia have been using the tree leaves as a cure for various ailments for a long time, of course.

Tea tree oil has been shown to be useful against all kinds of things, including bacteria and even things like mites and fungus.

My sister uses it as an anti-fungal on her feet, since she swims a lot and is always picking up athlete's foot from the

changing room floors.

She usually just puts a few drops into a foot bath and afterwards anoints her toes with some drops of the pure oil.

She tells me it clears up just as fast as if she uses medication and tea tree oil is cheaper.

You might want to make sure you aren't allergic to the tea tree essence or the carrier oil or anything else that you're adding to a bath, particularly if you already have skin irritation.

Once you get in it might not irritate you right away, but by the time it starts you've already been exposed for a while.

Just dab a bit of it on your skin 24 hours before using it in a bath and make sure it's not going to hurt you. Tea tree oil can be quite harsh on delicate skin if it's used undiluted, though, so you might also want to see if a diluted oil will also cause a rash.

You also have to be

careful not to ever drink tea tree oil or liquids which have had tea tree oil added to them. It's basically poisonous.

That's why it shouldn't be used on pets. If they try to lick it off and ingest it, they could get very sick or die.

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